Funding Opportunity for AmeriCorps*VISTA Financial Asset Development Projects, Placements of AmeriCorps*VISTA Members, and Supervisory Grants

Subject to the availability of appropriations, AmeriCorps*VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America), a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, is seeking applications to sponsor AmeriCorps*VISTA projects to build financial assets for low- income individuals and communities. This includes three types of program activity: (1) Building individual assets (individual development accounts, micro-enterprise development, entrepreneur education, financial literacy, home ownership, etc.), (2) building organizational assets (helping nonprofit organizations to achieve long term financial security through their purchasing of real estate, developing diversified income streams, creating efficiencies through the application of technology, etc.), and (3) building community assets (developing new credit unions, establishing cooperatives, creating business opportunities, etc.). Applicants will sponsor a project of three (3) or more AmeriCorps*VISTA members. Projects under this announcement may be national, regional, state, or local in scope. The sponsor will participate in recruiting and training the members and will provide supervision and project support. State and/or local public agencies, and nonprofit private organizations including faith-based organizations that are local, statewide, regional, or national in scope are eligible to apply under this announcement. Applicants should be organizations that are currently developing financial assets in low- income communities or are supporting social venture capital activities. Applicants must demonstrate that they have the capacity to support and supervise AmeriCorps*VISTA members. It is anticipated that proposed projects will create new capacity in the sponsoring organization (or nonprofit organizations targeted by venture philanthropists) to develop financial assets in communities with demonstrated needs. Sponsors should be self-sustaining following a specified period of AmeriCorps*VISTA support, usually three (3) years. AmeriCorps*VISTA intends to enter into Memoranda of Agreement with organizations selected under this announcement. A total of up to 400 AmeriCorps*VISTA members with an established Corporation allocation of approximately $1,420,000 may be allocated for placement. Applicant organizations will be expected to place no less than three (3) AmeriCorps*VISTA members per site. Under this announcement, small supervision grants for all sponsors selected for a supervisory grant of up to approximately $200,000 total, will be considered based on the size and scope of the project. Short-term, eight-to-ten week summer placements may also be requested under this announcement. While sharing the cost of a cadre of members is not a requirement, the contribution of resources by applicants to support the AmeriCorps*VISTA members will be considered in the rating of applications. For example, applicants are encouraged to collaborate with financial institutions and other businesses to provide mentoring, training, and additional resources to AmeriCorps*VISTA members. Applicant organizations are encouraged to create partnerships with colleges and universities to provide academic credit for AmeriCorps*VISTA service and service-related technical training, without compromising the full immersion experience of AmeriCorps*VISTA. Additional consideration also will be made to organizations that provide housing for members.